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The far-right Swiss People's Party, the country's largest, on Tuesday filed a petition supporting a cap on immigration to Switzerland, where more than a fifth of the population is foreign.

Party leader Toni Brunner said he wanted to "spark a debate on immigration" as he filed the petition to the federal chancellery, ending a months-long campaign to gather the required 100,000 signatures.

If the authorities deem the document's proposals acceptable, it then goes to a popular referendum, as per Switzerland's unique system of direct democracy.